Book Summary of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Jay Gallagher
Introduction
Recognizing the Guiding Principles of an Empire
The Roman Empire reached its pinnacle in the second century AD. Rome entered a period of comparatively calm and prosperity after a protracted period of internal strife and upheaval. The first five emperors of this time are known as the “Five Good Emperors,” and Marcus Aurelius was the final of these five.
In addition to becoming an emperor, Aurelius was also a philosopher who drew inspiration from the teachings of Greek Stoicism, a school of thought that believed that restraint and composure were the keys to overcome unpleasant emotions.
Because of his philosophical outlook, Aurelius earned the moniker “philosopher king.” So, what did Marcus Aurelius think? What made Aurelius a renowned Stoic philosopher and why have his ideas affected authors like John Steinbeck and politicians like former US President Bill Clinton (who regards this as his favorite book).
Some of the topics he talks about are:
- Why Pain Can Only Be Inflicted Upon Yourself
- Why Everything That Happens Is Part of a Deliberate Order
- Why You Shouldn’t Fear Death
Book Summary of Meditations Key Principle 1
The Concept of Logos includes and Governs the Entire Cosmos
In antiquity, there were numerous philosophical schools that addressed a wide range of topics, from nature to human behavior. However, the idea of LOGOS was a key component of these ancient philosophical ideas that applied to a variety of subjects.
The philosophers Heraclitus and Aristotle used this term, which loosely translates to “reason,” and the novelist Marcus Aurelius placed great weight on it.
According to him, logos can be found everywhere and is a component of the planet, trees, and even mankind. Logos, however, not only provides things form, but also order.
This implies that for humans, logos dictates where people belong in society and how they should be regarded. Thus, it is logos who dictates that emperors should be held in higher regard by society than slaves and that slaves should be treated as such.
However, why should we accept such unfair placements?
Since logos encompasses the entirety of the world and functions as the fundamental organizing principle for all events, it is the optimal approach to organize the universe. In truth, logos is always striving to advance the natural order of things.
Since everything that happens is precisely right and no one should seek change, the author maintained faith that even the most trying times in his life were part of logos’ larger purpose. Therefore, the author remained committed to his conviction that everything was meant to be even after the majority of his family had died and revolutions threatened his dominion.
Book Summary of Meditations Key Principle 2
Death Should Not be Feared because it is Inevitable
Death was a constant reality in ancient times since newborn mortality rates were quite high and average life expectancies were very low. As a result, one of the issues that people feared and dreaded the most was their fear of dying.
However, the author had a different viewpoint, believing that since all beings, whether living or dead, are still a part of logos, there is no reason for individuals to be terrified of dying. Therefore, when a person passes away, they once again become a part of the larger logos; dying is merely logos leaving a body that has already been dying since the moment it was born. Their essence is then redistributed to create new living things that carry on this cycle.
Death also only occurs at the precise moment when Logos requires it. Since logos has a bigger purpose, it makes no sense to be afraid of any of the untold number of things that could harm you.
Therefore, there would be nothing the author could do to change his fate, whether it was to pass away from disease in his old age or to die suddenly on the battlefield. To be afraid of something so certain would be pointless.
He was aware that even the most admirable people pass away. Therefore, the author had to constantly remind himself that everyone dies eventually when they were overwhelmed by death, like when he lost his wife. Regardless of whether you are a great emperor, a philosopher, or a brave gladiator, you must accept death rather than live in fear of it.
Book Summary of Meditations Key Principle 3
Life is Too Short to Waste it Whining
Therefore, anyone can pass away at any time from a heart attack, an unexpected accident, or just old age. It’s crucial to always be your best self since you never know when you’ll pass away.
Allowing oneself to be irritated by the things you must do only steals time away from life. Nobody ought to squander their life moaning about how difficult life is.
For instance, even though the author disliked having to preside over court, he always did it cheerfully because he believed that he shouldn’t waste any time of his brief life grumbling about his obligations.
Because of his complaints or a dysfunctional court, he should have spent the day in court if logos required him to. Instead, he should let others suffer.
Beyond that, it’s important to accomplish as much as we can because our time on earth is finite. For instance, the author always sought to be more productive rather than slouching in bed till noon.
Nevertheless, he understood that it was his responsibility to carry out the grand plan logos had laid out for him, even if it occasionally required letting people waste his time. He loathed people who wasted his time by engaging in idle conversation and pointless disputes in court. And whenever he felt like giving up, all he had to do was think back to his responsibilities as an emperor and participant in logos to get himself going again.
Book Summary of Meditations Key Principle 4
Logic is Crucial Because Emotions Can Cloud Our Judgment and Injure Us Unnecessarily
The author and the Stoic school of philosophy, of which he was an ardent adherent, placed the highest priority on reason and a logical understanding of the world. They therefore valued a calm, logical mind over one that is driven by appetites and emotions.
This strategy seems reasonable given that the main idea of logos is governing by reason and order. In this system, everything that occurs is both natural and part of a greater order.
For instance, if your house were to burn down, you might view the situation as a catastrophe since all of your possessions would be destroyed, or you might see it as advantageous because you would be able to use your home insurance. In essence, how you interpret an event determines its essence.
Therefore, if you accept the assumption that everything that happens has a cause, you should be able to see this incident clearly and accept it for what it is: necessary for the larger good. Perhaps moving to a new area after your home burns down can introduce you to the person you end up falling in love with. Or, you could use the insurance money to fund a once-in-a-lifetime journey around the globe.
But it’s crucial to remember that human emotions are a danger to reason. In fact, having an obsession with being unlucky or making choices based on sexual cravings may muddle your thinking so much that you won’t be able to recognize logos for what it is—the truth.
This is precisely why the author detested being ruled by strong emotions like retaliation, hatred, love, and infatuation; effective leadership required him to have a cool, collected head.
He would therefore reflect on logos and his place in the greater scheme of things anytime he felt overwhelmed. He could then reaffirm his position in the cosmos and rediscover his cool, collected demeanor.
Book Summary of Meditations
Key Principle 5
You Can only Genuinely Experience Agony that You Cause for Yourself
There were many risks in ancient Rome, especially for an emperor. Powerful people were all too frequently the targets of torture, poisoning, combat injuries, or the murder of loved ones by adversaries.
The author overcame his agony by holding onto his conviction that going through bodily pain is still a part of the bigger good that is logos. People must occasionally endure suffering in order for the natural order to function according to the plan logos has for the universe.
Therefore, even if someone is subjected to unspeakable torture and death while also going through terrible personal pain, it is still just since it is what was intended to happen.
In fact, the author lost almost all 13 of his children while they were still infants, and his wife later passed away at a young age to join them. But the author was able to maintain his composure throughout these difficulties by reminding himself that everything occurs for logical and good reasons. Since everything that happens must necessarily be good, rejecting such a fate is unnatural because logos is logical.
People are solely accountable for the choices they make. A person cannot actually be harmed by any injury that comes from an outside source because it is out of their control.
How so?
People can only accept pain and move on without whining because suffering is a part of every human. Complaining only serves to disdain the eternal logos logic that is ingrained in every person and causes oneself more suffering.
Final thoughts
The main idea of this work is:
A force that embraces and organizes the world is known as logos, and it controls both the universe and life itself.
Logos provides evidence that everything occurs for a reason. Therefore, since each is a part of a larger, flawless design, there is no need to be afraid of death, suffering, or to question your responsibility to society.
Practical suggestions:
People should be treated equally and kindly.
Only you have the power to determine your destiny and course of action. So, even if others are rude to you, resist the temptation to become like them. You won’t ever experience the negative consequences of your own behavior if you always treat people with respect and justice.
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